l, which is
this time followed by a tiny downy pink-cheeked peach. And here alights
a tiny sprite, whose magic touch evokes even from the _same_ leaf a
cherry, or a coral bead, perhaps a huge green apple! How many of us have
seen the little elf that spends her life among the tangles of creeping
cinque-foil, and decks its stems with those brilliant scarlet beads
which we may always find upon them, looking verily like tempting
berries.

[Illustration: THE INHABITED ROSE SPONGE.]

We see here about us swarms of these busy elves in obedience to their
own peculiar mischievous promptings. What whispers this glittering midge
to the oak twig here to which she clings so closely? We may not guess;
but if we pass this way a month or so hence what a beautiful response in
the glistening rosy-clouded sponge which encircles the stem! "But this
sponge is not pretty enough by half," exclaims a rival fairy. "Wait
until you see what yonder sweet-brier rose will do for _me_." Hovering
thither among its thorns she imparts her spell, and, lo! within a month
the stem is clothed in emerald fringe, which grows apace, until it has
become a dense pompon of deep crimson--a sponge worthy the toilet of the
fairy queen herself!

[Illustration: THE ELFIN SPONGE OF THE BRIER ROSE.]

[Illustration: THE ELFIN SPONGE OF THE OAK.]

Who shall still say that the fairy is a myth! These two fairy sponges
are familiar to us all, at least to those of us who dwell for even a
small part of the year in the country and use our eyes. Indeed, we need
go no further than our city parks, or even our "back-yard" gardens to
find at least one of them, for the sweet-brier is rarely neglected by
this particular fairy.

So many specimens of both of these sponges have been sent to me by ROUND
TABLE correspondents and others, that I have begun to wonder how many of
those other young people who have seen them and kept silence have
wondered at their secret.

[Illustration: THE ROSE MISCHIEF-MAKER.]

The two fairies which are responsible for these sponges have been
captured by the inquisitive scientist, and have had their portraits
taken for the rogues' gallery, and now we see them stuck upon tiny
little three-cornered pieces of paper, and pinned in the specimen case
as mere _insects_--gall-flies. The one is labelled _Cynips seminator_,
the other, _Cynips rosae_.

[Illustration: THE FAIRY USING HER MAGIC WAND.]

And now the prosaic entomologist proceeds to supplant fac